Here's another article I found interesting this morning. I know, I know, you guys don't want to read this but it's useful to me and may be helpful if some other unemployed social worker happens to stumble upon this site. I also know there are certain "rules" to abide by in blogging and stealing information by cutting and pasting may not be "cool" but I don't give a shit. This is my blog. I'm not trying to win notoriety, fame or a cult-like following. Just bear with me as a chronicle my current life situation and keep my mind engaged in something useful.
When Job Loss Leads to Depression
Learn strategies to cope with being unemployed, plus steps to avoid or treat depression.
By Linda Parent
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Losing your job can be a traumatic and unsettling event, especially in tough economic times when the prospect of finding new work seems slim. With unemployment rates rising and stories about layoffs, downsizing, and cutbacks in the news every day, the stress from losing a job may build to the point where your mental health suffers and you experience depression.
A job loss means a major change in your daily routine, losing contact with people from work, and perhaps a change in how you see yourself. For some people, losing a job may be as devastating as losing a loved one or going through a divorce, and you might even experience the same type of feelings, including anger, denial, and depression. Depression can be the result of many contributing factors that can sometimes be difficult to distinguish, but if you are unemployed and living with financial insecurity, your situation may be serious enough to bring about depression.
Research has shown that job loss may be related to depression not only because of the financial burden it brings, but also because it affects your social status, self-esteem, mental and physical activity, and the ability to use your skills. According to Luc Chabot, MEd, a psychotherapist in Montreal and founder of Relais Expert-Conseil, a firm specializing in workplace issues, how well a job loss is handled depends on many factors: age, financial situation, your ability to deal with stress, and any emotional disorders you might already have. Here are ways to help you cope, as well as what to do if you can no longer cope on your own.
8 Ideas for Coping With Job Loss and Avoiding Depression
~Be realistic.
Come to terms with why you lost your job. If you need to improve your skills to find a better job, now's the perfect time to get that training.
~Manage your money.
If you have the right to certain benefits, claim them as soon as you can to avoid getting behind financially. Make a plan for you and your family to reduce daily expenses.
~Create a daily routine.
Make a schedule of what you hope to accomplish each day, so that you maintain a regular routine. Include time for your job search, as well as exercise and leisure. Plan for the next day before you go to bed at night.
~Get emotional support.
Family, friends, and support groups can help you deal with the job loss. Speaking to people — networking — may help you find a new job.
~Learn how to manage stress.
Read a book or take a workshop. Meditate, visualize, and be patient by taking one step at a time.
~Set everyday goals for yourself.
Just going to the library or having lunch with a friend can help you build your confidence, maintain relationships, and stay healthy.
~Don't isolate yourself.
Make sure to stay busy outside of your home to avoid added emotional stress.
~Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Limit your smoking and your alcohol and caffeine intake. A regular schedule, eating well, and exercise will keep you fit for the next job.
If the above strategies don't help and your problems feel overwhelming, speak to your doctor about depression treatment. He or she may suggest management strategies, such as taking medication and/or talking to a mental health specialist (a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker). Here are some issues you may want to bring up at a meeting with a mental health professional: (I don't need one of those, thankfully. Hell, I don't have a job! I have all day to social work myself! I also have lots of friends in the Shrink Biz)
~What do you think causes stress in your life? Include long-term and short-term stressors.
How are your family and yourself affected by this stress?
~Do you have support available to help get through your situation, or make a positive impact on your life?
~Are there obstacles preventing you from reducing the stress?
~Are you willing to make major changes to reduce the stressful situation?
~Have you tried without success to resolve your situation?
~Can you accept this current situation and get on with your life?
Finding a new job can be a roller-coaster ride. But remember that success doesn't happen overnight and that you are not alone in feeling blue or scared.
Chabot recommends that "you first help yourself before anyone else. Don't be afraid to ask for help and discuss your personal issues. If you [still have a job and] know that major changes are going to occur in your workplace, get ahead of the situation by meeting with a counselor or an expert as soon as you feel overwhelmed."
Last Updated: 01/28/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Don't Judge a Book by its Cover!
...or my personality by my blog title. I always joke about having OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder~ for those of you that don't know. Being a social worker and having experience in clinical diagnosis I know for a fact that I do not suffer from OCD. I like to keep a tight ship. I love decorating and I'm into the whole balance/Zen thing. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. I know my desire for cleanliness and order seems irrational and/or intimidates others. I assure you that I do not judge you because you think you're a slob. After all, it's not my job to clean up after anyone, anymore. *sigh* I came across this article in an email this morning and figured it was time to reassess my mental health...
Health News
Health Tip: Signs That You May Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
7/15/2009
(HealthDay News) -- People with obsessive-compulsive disorder have uncontrolled thoughts that compel them to develop habits or rituals to ease their anxiousness.
The Anxiety Disorders Association of America offers this list of potential warning signs of OCD:
Persistent irrational fears or concerns, commonly about being dirty or getting sick. Nope!
Obsessing about things being in order or arranged a certain way. Define: OBSESS. Like it but I'm not possessed, controlled or haunted by it.
Being afraid that your thoughts or actions will cause harm to you or someone else. Nope!
Hoarding objects with no value. I'm the anti-hoarder!!!!
Irrational doubts or fears that you will harm someone else. Nope!
Impulsively and repeatedly cleaning your body or your home. You have to continue to clean up after yourself or eventually be living in filth!
Repeatedly checking something, such as if the doors are locked, appliances are unplugged or the stove is turned off. Nope!
Habits such as repeatedly saying a word or a name, or walking in the same place or in the same way. Nope!
Constantly reliving conversations, repeating words or counting. Nope!
Last Reviewed 07/15/2009 Last Updated 07/15/2009
Health News
Health Tip: Signs That You May Have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
7/15/2009
(HealthDay News) -- People with obsessive-compulsive disorder have uncontrolled thoughts that compel them to develop habits or rituals to ease their anxiousness.
The Anxiety Disorders Association of America offers this list of potential warning signs of OCD:
Persistent irrational fears or concerns, commonly about being dirty or getting sick. Nope!
Obsessing about things being in order or arranged a certain way. Define: OBSESS. Like it but I'm not possessed, controlled or haunted by it.
Being afraid that your thoughts or actions will cause harm to you or someone else. Nope!
Hoarding objects with no value. I'm the anti-hoarder!!!!
Irrational doubts or fears that you will harm someone else. Nope!
Impulsively and repeatedly cleaning your body or your home. You have to continue to clean up after yourself or eventually be living in filth!
Repeatedly checking something, such as if the doors are locked, appliances are unplugged or the stove is turned off. Nope!
Habits such as repeatedly saying a word or a name, or walking in the same place or in the same way. Nope!
Constantly reliving conversations, repeating words or counting. Nope!
Last Reviewed 07/15/2009 Last Updated 07/15/2009
Georgia on My Mind.
I'm going to Savannah in a few weeks. Yay! Hopefully I'll have something positive happening by then in terms of employment. If not, I'm going to be forced to expand my search. Starting in Georgia. I don't want to but what the hell is the alternative? I can't stand the thought of being unemployed another month. I'm finally verbalizing this because the first step is admitting you have a problem. Right? Perhaps someone will hear my plea? Which leads me to another thing that made me think "What the Hell???" Yesterday I was updating my CareerBuilder profile from 2006. I don't know how many of you are lucky enough to have been through this process but it's not something you can do very quickly. You go through the step-by-step process and fill in the blanks, check boxes, etc. At the bottom of each section there is an advertisement from a sponsor (Universities, etc) and you have the option to have them send you info. I was left scratching my head when I reached a section called Social Networking. It asked that if you had a blog or social networking profiles if you would like to provide the link because "research shows that 24% of employers hire prospective employees based on social networking profiles." Are you effing kidding me? I know this is available for all the interworld to see but I'm not expressly throwing my personal life in the face of an employer in hopes that it will land me a job! I am, however, going to continue to blog and be open about how horrible it is to be unemployed, overweight and broke along with how much I like to enjoy life. If somebody doesn't like it then too darn bad! I am who I am!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Weekend recap~ continued.
I'm reminded that I haven't finished my weekend update about the lake house vacation by the rash that's suddenly covering my body. I'm not even sure if the weekend has anything to do with the rash but I figure my skin is rebelling against all of the sun I cast upon it. I have a gorgeous tan...covered by tiny little bumps. Yuck. Last time I had this was four years ago when I came home from Florida. I changed my detergent, quit using all soaps and lotions and when that didn't work I sought medical attention. The doctor had no explanation and sent me away with a tube of something I quit using after three days because it didn't seem to work. After about three weeks the rash disappeared without incident. One day I suddenly realized "The rash is gone! When did that happen?" I'm not prone to bad reactions to anything. I'm not allergic to anything at all...that I know of. Except for the occasional time when I declare that I'm allergic to carbs or chocolate when I'm trying to break myself from having them. I'm stumped. I can only say that lots of sun is the one thing both occurrences have in common.
Speaking of sun, I've had my fill of sun this summer but I knew that eventually I would reach the point where I was motivated and driven to find a new job. Some days I wake up feeling low and wishing I would get an email, a call, a letter, anything positive pertaining to employment. Other days I wake up and think "To Hell with it!" and just pledge to enjoy the day no matter what obstacles stand in my way! Last week was a little bit of both. Being jobless means being broke the majority of the time and being broke SUCKS! That motivated me to focus on improving my job-seeking approach. I rewrote my cover letter and tweaked my resume to get it up to date with my volunteer work and such. Having accomplished these small tasks made me feel better! I've spent every morning this week applying online, researching the Social Work license exam, checking universities for options to build on my education, programs that would pay for me to go to school to learn new skills and so on. Obviously having a degree is not a fool proof way to guarantee someone will hire me.
At least three people have advised me to get the hell out of Michigan if I want to find a job. Not in such an abrupt way but that's how I feel when I think about it! For YEARS I whined, complained and plotted how I would get out of Detroit. I always had this fantasy that my life would be great if only I moved out of the state of Michigan. Now, I'm content with my life in Detroit. I'm pretty sure when and why it happened and I've come to realize that my life here is pretty damn good. Great. Right? One problem. I don't have a job. It's not for lack of trying! It's out of my control.
Instead of getting bummed as more bills roll in I let it all go this past weekend. Andrea asked me to go with her to a birthday party one of her friends was throwing at his "cottage" on the lake. I'm going to skip the boring details I easily lose myself in and say that I had THE BEST TIME I'VE HAD ALL SUMMER! I laughed from the minute I walked into that house on Saturday until I parted ways with Andrea after the drive home on Sunday. We only drove 2 hours south west and it was as if we were in another time and place. The weather was beautiful. The water was warm. The spirits were flowing. The laughs never stopped. I felt like I was 22 again. I had never met any of these people before but within 24 hours it felt like I had known them a lifetime. I'll close this out by sharing some revealing photographs. I'm so happy only a handful of you even know this blog exists. :)
Speaking of sun, I've had my fill of sun this summer but I knew that eventually I would reach the point where I was motivated and driven to find a new job. Some days I wake up feeling low and wishing I would get an email, a call, a letter, anything positive pertaining to employment. Other days I wake up and think "To Hell with it!" and just pledge to enjoy the day no matter what obstacles stand in my way! Last week was a little bit of both. Being jobless means being broke the majority of the time and being broke SUCKS! That motivated me to focus on improving my job-seeking approach. I rewrote my cover letter and tweaked my resume to get it up to date with my volunteer work and such. Having accomplished these small tasks made me feel better! I've spent every morning this week applying online, researching the Social Work license exam, checking universities for options to build on my education, programs that would pay for me to go to school to learn new skills and so on. Obviously having a degree is not a fool proof way to guarantee someone will hire me.
At least three people have advised me to get the hell out of Michigan if I want to find a job. Not in such an abrupt way but that's how I feel when I think about it! For YEARS I whined, complained and plotted how I would get out of Detroit. I always had this fantasy that my life would be great if only I moved out of the state of Michigan. Now, I'm content with my life in Detroit. I'm pretty sure when and why it happened and I've come to realize that my life here is pretty damn good. Great. Right? One problem. I don't have a job. It's not for lack of trying! It's out of my control.
Instead of getting bummed as more bills roll in I let it all go this past weekend. Andrea asked me to go with her to a birthday party one of her friends was throwing at his "cottage" on the lake. I'm going to skip the boring details I easily lose myself in and say that I had THE BEST TIME I'VE HAD ALL SUMMER! I laughed from the minute I walked into that house on Saturday until I parted ways with Andrea after the drive home on Sunday. We only drove 2 hours south west and it was as if we were in another time and place. The weather was beautiful. The water was warm. The spirits were flowing. The laughs never stopped. I felt like I was 22 again. I had never met any of these people before but within 24 hours it felt like I had known them a lifetime. I'll close this out by sharing some revealing photographs. I'm so happy only a handful of you even know this blog exists. :)
The majority of gang coming and going over the weekend.
Me, and Andrea with our roomie, Corey. He's our new "bestie". OMG!
Ghetto S'mores!
The house was awesome but I swear it was haunted!
I'm not a boater but I want to own a Pontoon. It's like a freaking floating livingroom! I love it!
Provided us with a few moments of entertainment!
Someone must've been thinking dirty thoughts.
I wouldn't go on the Jet Ski but I did get into the water because Jason begged me (threatened me) and it was his birthday!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Who needs Xanax when there's Bruno?
Pardon my derisive sarcasm in the last entry. Please let me clarify that I was being a smart ass. I didn't miss anything. I understand what the American Graduation Initiative is supposed to accomplish. Pardon me if I balk at the thought of more welfare recipients having something dangled in front of them in hopes that they will put it to good use. I owe $47,000.00+ in Student Loans and still can't get a call for an interview. Bitter, table for one.
It's all good though because I just saw Bruno. Hi-freaking-sterical! I LOVE Sacha Baron Cohen's obnoxious humor. If you see Bruno please take your most open-minded friends with you. I had Andrea on one side of me convusing right along with me and Jane, who barely laughed at all, on the other side. Andrea whispered to me during the movie, "I'm going to Hell just for watching this!" If that's indication enough as to how filthy this movie is. It was priceless!
It's all good though because I just saw Bruno. Hi-freaking-sterical! I LOVE Sacha Baron Cohen's obnoxious humor. If you see Bruno please take your most open-minded friends with you. I had Andrea on one side of me convusing right along with me and Jane, who barely laughed at all, on the other side. Andrea whispered to me during the movie, "I'm going to Hell just for watching this!" If that's indication enough as to how filthy this movie is. It was priceless!
Huh? Did I miss something?
President Barack Obama made another speech in Michigan today. I didn't see him make this speech nor did I hear it in it's entirity but it was about The "American Graduation Initiative".
I want to approach this politely as not to offend anyone so I'll leave my opinion out of it. I just want to understand what this initiative is supposed to accomplish? Is it's purpose to imply that if you go to Community College and get an Associates degree that you'll have an easier time finding a job? I have a Masters degree in SOCIAL WORK. I have been unemployed 7.5 months.
I'm confused.
I want to approach this politely as not to offend anyone so I'll leave my opinion out of it. I just want to understand what this initiative is supposed to accomplish? Is it's purpose to imply that if you go to Community College and get an Associates degree that you'll have an easier time finding a job? I have a Masters degree in SOCIAL WORK. I have been unemployed 7.5 months.
I'm confused.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Week in Review.
Tina warned me to "start blogging before someone thinks you fell off the wagon into another birthday cake!" Thanks. ;)
Geeze. At least someone is paying attention.
The past week has been very busy! Today is my day of recovery. First thing this morning I had to tend to my duty as a Job Seeker. Now that I've got that taken care of I can do the fun online things that I love! I've got a lot of catching up to do!
Last week started out when I woke up with a desperate need to find employment. I haven't felt like this in a few weeks. Maybe I was sinking into a bit of a funk? It was probably a post-sugar-high from all of the damn cake I ate the week surrounding my Birthday? Probably. Well, I have sworn off cake until my next Birthday. I assure you that I can't stomach the mere thought of cake in any way, shape or form. So done with cake! After a few days of "making myself useful to those in need" (Yes, that's in code to elude the people paying my bills)I was ready for some rest and relaxation. My friends Lottie and John were here from Savannah so I was surely going to make time to see them. The original plan was for me to drive back down with them and visit Savannah but after careful evaluation of my finances I decided that wasn't a very good plan. Instead, I'll be going down there in a few weeks but I'll save that for another time. Lottie called and told me they were going to the Detroit Yacht Club to hang out on their friend's boat. I love Belle Isle and I've been to the awesome DYC before so I was totally down for that! We met up and had a good time catching up and being silly. Lottie rocked it out Old School and I was the picture of class with my Better Made chips and Bud Light.
Later we left John on the boat with the boys and headed downtown for some Girl Time. Me, Lottie and Jane went to Cliff Bells for some drinks. We wanted the bartender to take our picture but she was really busy so we posed for a few self-portraits. It took a few (or six) attempts to get a decent picture.
I'm still not sure any of them are "decent" enough to meet all of our approvals!
Moving forward. On Thursday I headed out to Ann Arbor to meet up with Tina and Leslie. The three of us have recently lost jobs at our last place of employment. I didn't mention how much that place sucked, did I? Well, now you get an idea. We've been getting together in different groups since our demise at said agency for awhile. I can honestly say that this last batch of co-workers were my favorite and we formed friendships that I'm happy have outlasted being employed together in a sort of "forced camaraderie". Since we are all currently seeking employment we decided that we should take advantage of our good fortune of being part of the FUNEMPLOYED in Michigan and spend some time in the sun. We started with a healthy feast. The best part of this was that we were all able to pool our resources of things we already had in the pantry and come up with a pretty good lunch! Of course, Tina had a veggie sausage. We used our Girl Scout skills and no gas grill was used in the creating of this fine cuisine! Two points for the Social Workers that know how to use some charcoal briquettes and a lighter!!
After we ate we cleaned up and headed to the pool. I didn't get any pictures of us in the pool because that would be mortifying (plus, phones and water don't mix!) The sky looked nice from my chaise lounge though!
It was fun. We tried to educate two grown men (that admitted to us that they didn't know how to swim) on floating and treading water. Baby steps, gentlemen! You have to learn to float before you can swim...I know it's really "sink before you swim" but we didn't want to tell them that! After we got a little crispy (and the kids showed up and took over our peaceful space) we headed back inside. The rest of the night was spent watching movies and playing games. We played Scrabble and I watched Tina play Guitar Hero. That "game" is very intimidating! I also got to see Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. VERY cute movie! We also watched The Mothman Prophecies. Not scurry(sic) at all. Psychologically thrilling, yes. I liked it! I know Tina would have loooooved for me to watch Lord of the Rings but I have limits, people! Love you, Tina! ;) I also made my first attempt at Origami. Tina used to sit at work meetings and fold up some pretty awesome creations! She can make flowers and birds and stars out of all the notes I would pass her during these extremely boring meetings! I tried to make stars but they came out looking like spit balls. Tina did give me a Booty of stars which I used to fill a glass and add to my decor.
OK, so HERE is what you've been waiting for...in between all of this eating and lounging we walked TWO whole miles. I'm out of breath just thinking about it! I kid. We took a stroll to World Market and Whole Foods just to get out of the apartment. That's the extent of my exercise for the week. I'll admit, I suck and blow at the same time. I'll make up for it right now though. I'm going to help Diana with her gardening! Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE gardening! I was born with a green thumb. I'll get into that when I get home tonight. I will also tell you all about the FABULOUS time I had with Andrea and gang at the Kraft Lake House on Saturday and Sunday! OMG, good times! Gotta run.
Geeze. At least someone is paying attention.
The past week has been very busy! Today is my day of recovery. First thing this morning I had to tend to my duty as a Job Seeker. Now that I've got that taken care of I can do the fun online things that I love! I've got a lot of catching up to do!
Last week started out when I woke up with a desperate need to find employment. I haven't felt like this in a few weeks. Maybe I was sinking into a bit of a funk? It was probably a post-sugar-high from all of the damn cake I ate the week surrounding my Birthday? Probably. Well, I have sworn off cake until my next Birthday. I assure you that I can't stomach the mere thought of cake in any way, shape or form. So done with cake! After a few days of "making myself useful to those in need" (Yes, that's in code to elude the people paying my bills)I was ready for some rest and relaxation. My friends Lottie and John were here from Savannah so I was surely going to make time to see them. The original plan was for me to drive back down with them and visit Savannah but after careful evaluation of my finances I decided that wasn't a very good plan. Instead, I'll be going down there in a few weeks but I'll save that for another time. Lottie called and told me they were going to the Detroit Yacht Club to hang out on their friend's boat. I love Belle Isle and I've been to the awesome DYC before so I was totally down for that! We met up and had a good time catching up and being silly. Lottie rocked it out Old School and I was the picture of class with my Better Made chips and Bud Light.
Later we left John on the boat with the boys and headed downtown for some Girl Time. Me, Lottie and Jane went to Cliff Bells for some drinks. We wanted the bartender to take our picture but she was really busy so we posed for a few self-portraits. It took a few (or six) attempts to get a decent picture.
I'm still not sure any of them are "decent" enough to meet all of our approvals!
Moving forward. On Thursday I headed out to Ann Arbor to meet up with Tina and Leslie. The three of us have recently lost jobs at our last place of employment. I didn't mention how much that place sucked, did I? Well, now you get an idea. We've been getting together in different groups since our demise at said agency for awhile. I can honestly say that this last batch of co-workers were my favorite and we formed friendships that I'm happy have outlasted being employed together in a sort of "forced camaraderie". Since we are all currently seeking employment we decided that we should take advantage of our good fortune of being part of the FUNEMPLOYED in Michigan and spend some time in the sun. We started with a healthy feast. The best part of this was that we were all able to pool our resources of things we already had in the pantry and come up with a pretty good lunch! Of course, Tina had a veggie sausage. We used our Girl Scout skills and no gas grill was used in the creating of this fine cuisine! Two points for the Social Workers that know how to use some charcoal briquettes and a lighter!!
After we ate we cleaned up and headed to the pool. I didn't get any pictures of us in the pool because that would be mortifying (plus, phones and water don't mix!) The sky looked nice from my chaise lounge though!
It was fun. We tried to educate two grown men (that admitted to us that they didn't know how to swim) on floating and treading water. Baby steps, gentlemen! You have to learn to float before you can swim...I know it's really "sink before you swim" but we didn't want to tell them that! After we got a little crispy (and the kids showed up and took over our peaceful space) we headed back inside. The rest of the night was spent watching movies and playing games. We played Scrabble and I watched Tina play Guitar Hero. That "game" is very intimidating! I also got to see Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. VERY cute movie! We also watched The Mothman Prophecies. Not scurry(sic) at all. Psychologically thrilling, yes. I liked it! I know Tina would have loooooved for me to watch Lord of the Rings but I have limits, people! Love you, Tina! ;) I also made my first attempt at Origami. Tina used to sit at work meetings and fold up some pretty awesome creations! She can make flowers and birds and stars out of all the notes I would pass her during these extremely boring meetings! I tried to make stars but they came out looking like spit balls. Tina did give me a Booty of stars which I used to fill a glass and add to my decor.
OK, so HERE is what you've been waiting for...in between all of this eating and lounging we walked TWO whole miles. I'm out of breath just thinking about it! I kid. We took a stroll to World Market and Whole Foods just to get out of the apartment. That's the extent of my exercise for the week. I'll admit, I suck and blow at the same time. I'll make up for it right now though. I'm going to help Diana with her gardening! Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE gardening! I was born with a green thumb. I'll get into that when I get home tonight. I will also tell you all about the FABULOUS time I had with Andrea and gang at the Kraft Lake House on Saturday and Sunday! OMG, good times! Gotta run.
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